Commentary - No heat, no cool

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Francisco de la Torre
  • 8th Civil Engineer Squadron
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  You've probably already felt it; air conditioning in buildings across Kunsan has been shut down. This marks the beginning of the "no heat, no cool" period which historically takes place every year around the end of September and the beginning of October as temperatures outside begin to drop.

The current 8th Fighter Wing policy regarding the "no heat, no cool" period states that air cooling systems are to be shut down after three consecutive days with mean temperatures below 70 degrees.

Once the shut down criteria is met the installation commander gives the go ahead and the 8th Civil Engineer's heating, ventilation and air conditioning shop takes over.

All air cooling systems in Kunsan are shut down during the "no heat, no cool" period beginning with all non-mission essential facilities to include office buildings. These facilities compromise roughly three-fourths of the buildings at Kunsan.

The next sets of facilities targeted are the dorms and facilities identified on the extended cool list such as the BX and commissary. The last facilities to have their cooling system shut down are those identified as having special temperature requirements.

Needless to say, shutting down all cooling systems does not happen overnight. The total process takes the HVAC shop, compromised of 12 Airmen, a little over a week to complete, but the work doesn't stop there.

The bulk of the maintenance and replacement work required to keep the aging infrastructure working is performed during the "no heat, no cool" period. The shop takes advantage of the system being shut down to perform work that would have otherwise required an interruption in service during the hotter, more humid times of the year. This maintenance is essential to ensure the systems are in good working order for the next summer.

The "no heat, no cool" period also coincides with National Energy Awareness Month. This Defense Department campaign encourages everyone to keep energy conservation in mind and do their part to save energy.

During this "no heat, no cool" period, Wolf Pack members are highly encouraged to make use of open doors and windows to circulate air and keep their offices and dorm rooms at comfortable room temperatures. Furthermore, the energy cost associated with running fans to keep rooms cool during this period is negligible when compared to the savings gained by shutting down all cooling systems.

The "no heat, no cool" period will run until the mean temperature drops below 55°F for three consecutive days or Nov. 1, whichever comes first. At that time, the HVAC shop will be hard at work turning on all the heating systems around Kunsan ensuring all Wolf Pack members are kept nice and warm during the chilly Kunsan winter.